Curb Appeal for Less

Photo by: barxtux

Nothing says blah like a blank and boring front yard. If you ever plan on selling your house, first impressions make a huge difference. Your beautiful house looks naked without some color and pizazz to spice up the grass. Planting trees and cultivating a garden makes a huge positive impact on resale and the environment.

So you read a few design books, watch some DIY TV, and, armed with an award-winning plan, you trot off to Hardware Land. That initial purchase may not be so bad. But one trip turns into four and the virgin lawn planter, notoriously clueless on garden budgeting, finds finds himself deeply in debt.

Many products offered to adorn the beds contain large amounts of wood and plastic. Why not add some flower flair without incurring additional wood processing and unnecessary plastics? These tips will boost your lawn's wow-factor without incurring too much debt or depleting too many resources.

Cheap Ways to Improve the Curb Appeal of Your Home:

1. If you aren't in a hurry, begin with seeds. They are cheap and fun to plant. Make sure to read the directions on how deep to plant, sunlight required, and what season is best to plant. After you get a healthy selection growing use cuttings to grow your plant family.
2. Use poorly irrigated marshland as a foundation for a rain garden http://sueellingson.com/raingardens/. Your soupy side yard can bloom year round with a lightly cultivated, natural plant selection that thrives on excess water.
3. Paint the front door with a low level of VOCs. Most traditional paints contain big amounts of irritants and fumes, but a fresh coat of color will radically transform your curb appeal. If you live in a warmer climate, low VOC exterior paint won't pose a problem to the finish.
4. Lay out a recycled tire mat to welcome guests. Popular in the 50s and 60s these mats are far more durable than the flimsy, cute things we lay in front of the door now. Plus they make good use of old tires.
5. Put up several window boxes and plant herbs in them. For those of us who can't fathom the maintenance of a full-blown garden, window box planters provide a decent solution. They add a pretty border to your window and spice up the cooking.
6. Bring on more recycled tires to craft planters for the entrance. They look fabulous painted with fresh, oxygen-producing plants tucked inside.

Next: Chapter 5: Leisure and Tourism